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What They Do
About This Career
Sets up and operates digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
This career is part of the Arts, Audio-Video Technology and Communications cluster Printing Technology pathway.
A person in this career:
- Starts presses and pulls proofs to check for ink coverage and density, alignment, and registration.
- Examines job orders to determine quantities to be printed, stock specifications, colors, or special printing instructions.
- Adjusts ink fountain flow rates.
- Verifies that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job.
- Collects and inspects random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.
- Feeds paper through press cylinders and adjusts feed and tension controls.
- Monitors automated press operation systems and responds to fault, error, or alert messages.
- Secures printing plates to printing units and adjusts tolerances.
- Loads presses with paper and makes necessary adjustments, according to paper size.
- Cleans ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed.
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
People who do this job report that:
- You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
- Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
- Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
- Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
- Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
- Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
- Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
- Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
- Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
- Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time
Working in this career involves (physical activities):
- Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
- Seeing clearly at a distance
- Seeing clearly up close
- Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
- Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
Work Hours and Travel
Specialty and Similar Careers
Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:
- Flexographic Press Operator
- Offset Pressman
- Press Operator
- Pressman
- Printer
- Printing Pressman
- Digital Press Operator
- Offset Press Operator
- Web Press Operator
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts national surveys of wage data by occupation in every state and in all industry divisions. These surveys are conducted through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program.
The statistics collected for one year are published the next fall. For example, 2013 wage information was published in the fall of 2014.
There are over 800 occupations in the surveys, and these occupations cover the entire U.S. labor market. The surveys ask for reports in a scale of ranges for both hourly wages and annual wages.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics for a broad category, be aware that the salary data for a specific career may differ.
For more details about how wage information is collected and calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm.
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts a national survey of over 400,000
employers in every state and in all industry divisions. This survey is conducted
through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Every other year the
department publishes outlook information based on these surveys.
Each outlook period covers 10 years. For example, in 2003 the outlook information
was published for 2004-2014. Employers are asked to report the number of employees
in about 770 different occupations that cover the entire U.S. labor market.
From this information, staffing patterns for different industries are established.
Industry growth is projected into the future based on past trends and current economic
conditions. Industry staffing patterns are then applied to the industry projections
to obtain occupational projections.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties
of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational
category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics
for a broad category, be aware that the employment data for a specific field may
differ.
For more details about how employment information is collected and calculated by
the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
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